Portsmouth police, drivers key to curbing speeding

Speeding motorists remain a top concern in Portsmouth, according to several residents who attended the National Night Out Against Crime in the city earlier this month. It appears city police are ready to ramp up efforts to address the issue, according to police Chief Stephen DuBois.

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By Portsmouth Herald Editorial Board

seacoastonline.com

By Portsmouth Herald Editorial Board

Posted Sep. 1, 2014 at 2:00 AM

By Portsmouth Herald Editorial Board
Posted Sep. 1, 2014 at 2:00 AM

» Social News

Speeding motorists remain a top concern in Portsmouth, according to several residents who attended the National Night Out Against Crime in the city earlier this month. It appears city police are ready to ramp up efforts to address the issue, according to police Chief Stephen DuBois.

The chief suggested the problem is possibly worse this summer due to drivers having to seek alternate routes due to the many bridge replacement projects. That is likely true, but drivers should not use a detour as an excuse to unfairly impact neighborhoods across the city.

Portsmouth Police should step up efforts to send a clear and consistent message that speeding will not be tolerated in the city. Ultimately, though, police cannot be in all places at all times to catch those operating their motor vehicles with disrespect. Everyone should drive wherever they are as if they lived on the street they are travelling. Speed is often a contributing factor in crashes, and in a place such as Portsmouth — which promotes the importance of being a walkable and bikable city — speeding automobiles cannot work against that goal.

No motorist wants to live with the fact that his or her speeding caused a personal injury or death. Keeping that in mind should help motorists lighten up on the accelerator.

We do believe that police pulling over more speeders and issuing more tickets, not warnings, will send the right message. Not only can the cost of a ticket serve as real deterrent, the possibility of an increase in the cost of auto insurance will also drive the point home.

The use of speed-detecting signs to remind motorists to obey the law doesn't hurt, but we are unconvinced that significant change can come from them alone. City police in the past also deployed a "dummy police officer" in a parked cruiser to trick speeding motorists. It doesn't hurt, but after a while speeders figure it out, and the dummy doesn't write tickets.

It seems each year at the Police Department's National Night Out Against Crime that residents list speeding motorists among their top safety concerns. And, to be fair and responsive, an increased level of enforcement is in order. However, City Councilor Eric Spear's suggestion that the city police deploy video surveillance and automated ticketing may not be the best idea.

The top concern raised over Spear's proposal, as cited by various city officials, is the creep of government into people's personal privacy. That is a legitimate concern, as is the mechanical nature of enforcement. Spear certainly has residents' best interests in heart, saying, "the safety of the residents is the important thing." That's what all motorists need to keep in mind.

A writer of a letter to the editor on the topic of speeding years ago wrote that if the first car on the road stuck to the speed limit, then all the others behind it would as well. There's logic there and it suggests real change starts with the individual. Caution and respect can go a long way, and if that doesn't work, we hope the police are truly ready to ramp up their efforts to prove dangerous driving will not be tolerated in Portsmouth.